birding sites

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The Blyde River Canyon

MBR-BS 1.2

IBA

The Blyde River Canyon is the world's third largest canyon and offers spectacular scenery with viewsites and rock formations overlooking the Lowveld with dramatic towering cliffs, plateau grasslands, broadleaved woodland, riverine thicket and Afromontane forest.

The Three Rondavels lookout site is dominated by montane grassland which hosts a number of high altitude species. These include Wing-snapping Cisticola, Wailing Cisticola, Levaillant's Cisticola, Borad-tailed Warbler, Croaking Cisticola, Drakenberg Prinia, Cape Rock-thrush, Buff-streaked Chat, Familiar Chat and Mocking Cliff-chat.

In addition, the lookout is a good area to look out for raptors, including Cape Vulture, Verreaux's Eagle, Rock Kestrel, Lanner and Peregrine Falcons.

Directions

The canyon can be accessed from the south via the R532 through Sabie and Graskop or from the north via the R36 Lydenburg/Ohrigstad Road. Drive past the access gate and on towards the parking area.

Additional Info

From many well-positioned vantage points one has a view of the 33 km long gorge. A public road runs along the long western boundary and there is easy access to beauty spots like The Pinnacle, God's Window with its kloof-framed view of the Lowveld, Bourke's Luck, Potholes and a lookout point pointing on The Three Rondavels.

Contact

Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Association
Tel: +27 (0)13 759 5432.